New Centra helicopter service saving lives

The helicopter swayed gently as its blades began to turn.

Centra Health’s new medical helicopter, Centra One, was about to lift off for a short demonstration ride for the press to Lynchburg General Hospital’s helipad and then back to its hangar at the Lynchburg Regional Airport.

Pilot Steve Eubus checked that each system spooled up properly then radioed to the control tower that he wanted an eastern departure. The helicopter gradually lifted into the air.

“Lynchburg General Medical center, this is Centra One,” flight nurse Lisa Jamerson radioed. “We’ve departed. Lynchburg General, we are en route to your location. ETA, approximately three minutes.”

Centra’s new twin-engine helicopter replaced the Virginia State Police’s MedFlight III service. Centra opted out of its arrangement with the state police following a change in Medicare reimbursement policy that meant Centra needed an upgraded flight certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The medical helicopter service operates from the North Carolina border to just south of Charlottesville, and from Bedford County to east of Farmville.

The brief flight to the hospital took only three minutes compared to 16 minutes by car.

“We are able to shave minutes off and it does make a difference in patient outcomes,” Jamerson said.

Since beginning operation on May 1, Centra One has responded to 128 emergency calls, said Centra spokeswoman Susan Brandt.

The Virginia State Police had been operating the MedFlight III helicopter based at Lynchburg Regional Airport since 2001, until Centra Health chose to opt out of the partnership effective May 1, said Corinne Geller, spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police.

Under the partnership, the state police provided the pilot and plane, while Centra provided the flight nurse and medic, Geller said. The state police approached other entities to see about continuing; however none had the necessary resources to spare.

“It’s a 24/7 operation,” Geller said. “It’s a significant amount of time and resources. We were unable to find anyone who could sustain that commitment.”

MedFlight operations are still active in Chesterfield and Abingdon.

During MedFlight III’s tenure, the medical helicopter flew 2,906 missions and transported 862 patients. About 400 of those patients would likely have died without the transport and 182 would have, Geller said. The program was used for the transportation of the most critically ill patients.

The state police will continue to operate aircraft from the Lynchburg hangar for law enforcement functions including speed enforcement, drug eradication programs and searching for wanted subjects.

In January 2009, Centra learned that Medicare would no longer pay for air transport under the Federal Aviation Administration flight certificate that the state police operation flies under, said Allan Belcher, director of ambassador services, in a previous interview. Other insurers followed suit.

The helicopter service costs about $750,000 per year, and insurance payments would cover about $100,000.

Geller said the MedFlight program was a not-for-profit service. The state police cannot charge for it because FAA regulations would require more pilots and mechanics on staff, which the state police did not deem to be cost effective.

“The Virginia State Police does not charge for service,” Geller said. “Our job is to serve and protect the public.”

Centra Health has contracted with PHI Inc. for air transport.

Gary Roakes, Amherst County director of public safety, said the speed of air transport can mean the difference between life or death, between making a recovery or becoming permanently disabled.

“Nine years ago when we got the Virginia State Police helicopter, it was a tremendous asset to have,” Roakes said. “Prior to that we had to get one out of Roanoke or Charlottesville.

“We are fortunate in our area to have them here. The investment made in the helicopter and to the medical flight system speaks well of Centra and how they want to grow.”

The new helicopter is larger than the one the state police used. It has a greater fuel capacity and can carry more weight. There are night vision goggles for the pilot, and highly specialized equipment for delivering oxygen, installing breathing tubes, starting IVs and restarting hearts.

It’s equipment that ground crews often can’t afford, said Flight Paramedic Chris Adams. However, if proven successful in the helicopter, it will often trickle down to those crews.

Jeremy Painkin, of the Campbell County Rescue Squad, said hearing the sound of the medical helicopter brings relief to emergency crews on the ground.

“They can do things we can’t out in the field,” Painkin said. “They get the patient to a level 1 trauma center if necessary, much, much faster than we can.

“There have been times that we’ve left Gladys and they’ve been at the hospital a good 30 minutes before we can get there.”

Time is essential when someone has just suffered a stroke, a heart attack, or has been severely injured in a crash, said Michelle Turner, of the Campbell County Rescue Squad.

“We have a lot of long transport times — 45, 50 minutes, depending on where we are in the county,” Turner said. “If we have a patient in a car crash, or having a heart attack or stroke, it saves time and that helps the patient.”